The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-07-02
The Sunday School.
LESSON FOR JULY 10, 1887.
BY REV. ROBERT T. POLK.
THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.
Matthew ii. 1921
DREAMS.
Matthew ii. 1921

The last Lesson closed with the statement
that the Magi, "being warned in dream not
to return to Herod, departed to their coun-
try by another road" The beginning OF
our present Lesson continues: And when
thew had departed, behold an angel of the
IoRD appeareth to Joseph in dream,
saving. ARISE, take the little child and his
mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there
until tell thee; for Herod is about to seek
the little child to destroy him." Again 1t Is
said (19), "When Herod was dead, 10, an an
gel of the LORD appeared in dream to DO
seph in Egypt, saying, Arise, take the little
child and bis mother, and go into the land
of Israel, for they who sought the little child's
life are dead" And when he entered the
HOLY Land and heard that Archelaus had
succeeded his father in the government OF
Judea, he feared to go there, and, it is said,
"being warned in dream, he departed into
the district of Galilee" Joseph dreamed that
a messenger (angeD of God appeared to him.
TIE Magi and Joseph dreamed that they were
Divinely warned or instructed to do what they
did. In our studies of the Patriarchs we have
become familiar with dreams as means OF
Divine communication. That dreams come
from Gop'( Homer twas the prevalent ancient
belief. They are certainly conceivable as
available means of Divine impression. Ii
dreams may be Influenced by human pres
ence and will, as it is believed they may and
often are, certainly GoD may exercise the
same or similar power and influence. Inc
Holy Spirit being ever active, it may touch
the soul of man in sleeping, as in wakefui
hours. There is abundant evidence that
power of the mind and heart are often
uuickened to great activity during sleep.
Many difficult problem has been solved,
many grand thoughts and emotions have
been awakened and wrought into forms that
have survived, many decisive impressions
have been made in vivid dream. Dreams
are often the consequences OF anxious ana
intense thought and feeling. Persons may
even train themselves to dream wildly OF
the things in which they are deeply and feel
inply interested. The dreams of spiritually
deyout persons may have religious color
ing; they may be experienced as the direct
result (answer) of prayer. Indeed the Greek
word translated "warned" in verses IL and %,
includes the idea of response as from an ora
Gle, and implies previous prayer or appi-
cation for direction. The intelligent Mag1
must have been impressed by the anxious de-
sire of Herod to discover the infant king. 1t
ia reasonable to infer that they had conversed
with Joseph and Mary concerning the king
and his manifest interest III the matter OF
their visit. Anxious questions as to his pur-
pose and the safety of the child born to be
king, may have sprung in their mind and
awakened desire for Divine illumination,
which was answered in their dreams in &C
cordance with the Divine method described
in the book of Job.
"In dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falleth upon men,
In slumberings upon the bed;
Then He openeth the ears OF man,
And impresseth in them admonltlCn,
That He may turn man from his purpose
And remove pride from man:
That He may save His soul from the plt.
And his life from perishing by the sand"
Jon xxxiii. 1918.
In divers ways and by different means COP
speaks to His children. Every action of the
human mind may be employed as medium
of Divine communication. But the surest
word of COP is to be sought in the profound
est activities of the soul in which dwells the
HOLY Spirit of truth that accompanies the
Gospel of CHRIST. "God, having OF OLD
time spoken unto the fathers by divers por-
tions and in divers manners, hath spoken
unto us in His Son."